Tom Is Driving Me To Jail This Afternoon

Remember I mentioned that I got a speeding ticket? Today is my court date. I have chosen to take my chances with the judge, throw myself on the mercy of the court and hope for probation or driving school instead of paying the $170 fine for driving 45mph in a 30mph zone....out in the middle of almost nowhere, I might add.

I can see my cousin-in-law, a police officer in central California, one eyebrow raised, wagging his finger at me for my irresponsible violation. Yes, I should be ashamed instead of trying to minimize the potential damage I could have caused driving so recklessly....on the back roads of a tiny rural town with a population that barely exceeds 3,500 people.

Because the jurisdiction is a small rural town about 20 miles from where I live, traffic court will be in a tiny little building at 5:30pm with about 15 of us criminals in attendance.

Luckily, the back spasm that I have been dealing with all freaking weekend long is finally starting to subside, so I won't be cranky and snarky when the judge asks me how I plead. I will merely stand before her, wide eyed and sincere, plead guilty and mention that this moving violation was the very first moving violation I've ever received.....you know, because I've been such an awesome, law-abiding driver my entire driving life....and perhaps probation or driving school would be more appropriate for such a non-criminal as myself. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll pay the $170 then come home for dinner.

Between my back spasm and Friday's Some Things, I forgot to bring you up to date on Karen's appointment with her cardiologist last Thursday. The hospital doctor gave her the results of all of the tests she was subjected to and her cardiologist was able to review the results during her visit.

I hate eating my words, but I may have been wrong about the hospital doc. Yes, me. I know...level-headed, rational thinking, composed, calm person that I am. However, Karen's cardiologist also thinks her near-death episode was probably a result of plunging blood pressure. With a little twist.

When Karen went in for her angiogram three weeks ago, the doctor (an associate of her cardiologist) changed her medications a little, prescribing a diuretic that Karen had taken before, but had a bad reaction to, namely potential damage to her kidneys. So Karen decided not to take it. She called her cardiologist about the potentially dangerous diuretic, but the cardiologist was on vacation. In the meantime, Karen thought that if the doctor wanted her to take another diuretic, she would substitute the one he prescribed with another diuretic she already had in her possession but the doctor had her stop taking, the diuretic being Lasix. Apparently with the other diuretics that were contained in the other meds she was already taking, the additional diuretic proved to be too dehydrating and after a few days, her blood pressure plunged so low that she stopped breathing and she had no discernible pulse. The hospital doctor prescribed a specific medicine regime and continued to monitor Karen for a few days in the hospital until he felt sure she was stabilized.

Okay. Now I'll say it. I apologize Dr. Kendrick. I misjudged you. But don't think that means that I will accept whatever you say blindly without question. I'm not that kinda gal.

As for the 70% carotid artery blockage, well it appears that the blockage is more than 70%, which is why Dr. Kendrick was talking potential surgery before the vascular doctor even visited with Karen while she was in the hospital, and that's why Dr. Kendrick suggested she get a second opinion. Karen's cardiologist concurred with Dr. Kendrick's assessment and is setting up an appointment for Karen with another vascular surgeon. We do not yet have a date for that appointment.

On a totally awesome note, with of course some background.....

Almost five years ago, we downsized from a big 3,300 square foot farm house on 10 acres on a gravel lane to an 1,850 square foot 18-year old house in a residential neighborhood with fences, sidewalks and paved roads.

The house looked old and dingy, but - in our favorite last words - it had potential. We got it cheap and thought what the hell...we can just remodel...we know what we are doing...we've done it many times [read: EVERY TIME] before...no problem!

Wrong.

About a year and a half into it, cramming in the remodel of another house we were remodeling to resell, I hit my remodeling wall. I stopped painting, which is my designated remodel job. New trim remained half-painted. The den remained half painted. The kitchen remained half painted. Hallway untouched. The longer I looked at it, the less motivated I became. The task seemed insurmountable.

Then last year, after a transmission repair fiasco on his old Audi convertible, Tom decided to trade his Audi to a painter friend in exchange for - you guessed it - painting! It took him awhile, but our painter friend has begun to make good on the exchange. Yesterday he sent two guys from his crew to our house to begin painting. And, baby, paint they did! The kitchen is done! I can't even believe it!

Trim done! Cubbies for my baskets done! Ceiling done! The entire kitchen is finally finished!

And they didn't stop there. They started in the den and got the case for the bookshelf painted before they quit for the day. At a little after 5:00pm we finally had to almost throw them out. And they will be back next weekend to continue what I so effectively abandoned.

Seeing real progress makes me feel like I could actually start painting again this week since the projects aren't quite so big. That is, unless I am taken into custody tonight to serve jail time.